Grain drill



June 24, 1958 E, SCHNELL 2,840,282

GRAIN DRILL Original Filed Feb. 1, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 7 3 FIG.2 I02 12s 94 x 2 99 2s 0 lhlllllllllllilUlllllllla lo FIG.3 7|

8| Hun. c -[e3a+o 1 83 82 g 7 9 U 4 up; r Y INVENTOR. KT u vz [ERNST E.SCHNELL F|G.4 4%2 84 ATTORNEYS June 24, 1958 E. E. SCHNELL 2,840,282

GRAIN DRILL Original Filed Feb. 1, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.6 9139 FIG.7

INVENTOR.

ERNST E. SCHNELL 47% ATTORNEYS I United States Patent O GRAIN DRILL.

Ernst E. Schnell, West Bend, Wis., assignor to John Deere Van BruntCompany, Horicon, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Original applicationFebruary 1, 1955, Serial No. 485,493.

Divided and this application March 13, 1956, Serial No. 571,294

14 Claims. or. 222-485) I the like, onto the field.

The object and general nature of the present invention is the provisionof a new and useful fertilizer attachment constructed and arranged to beconnected with a grain drill of the type having furrow openers and meansincorporated in the grain drill for raising and lowering the furrowopeners. Another feature of this invention is the provision of anadjustable discharge or flow-controlling slide, with new and improvedmeans for releasably holding the slide in position on the bottom portionof the fertilizer hopper.

A further and important feature of this invention is the provision ofnew and improved slide supporting means whereby the slide may readily beremoved from the hopper, as for the purpose of cleaning or the like.Such slideholding means may take either of tWo forms, one in the natureof a spring-biased cam, which permits the slide to move away from thebottom of the hopper a limited distance, and for a number of times, orsuch means may take the form of a simplifiedslide support in which theslide is carried detachably in a pair of supporting parts one or both ofwhich are adjustable relative to the hopper for determining theclearance between the slide and the hopper bottom.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will beapparent to those skilled in the art after a consideration of thefollowing detailed description, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view showing one form of meansholding the adjustable slide in position along the bottom of thefertilizer hopper.

Fig. 2 is a generally diagrammatic sectional view taken along the planeof the line 44 of Fig. 1, with certain parts added to Fig. 2 that arenot shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken generally along the line 5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary end view of one of the gateholding cam members,showing the manner in which the cam member may be inserted in place inthe associated bracket.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary end view of a fertilizer hopper mounted in placeon a grain drill, showing a modified form of slide and slide-retainingmeans.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken generally along the line7-7 of Fig. 5, showing the front slide support member and associatedparts.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken generally along the line8--8 of Fig. 5, showing the rear slide support member and associatedparts.

Fig. 8 is a view taken generally along'the line 9-9 fiaten ed June 24,1958 "ice of Fig. 5, showing the slide-adjusting means employed in theform of the invention shown in Fig. 5.

Referring first to Fig. l, the principles of the present invention havebeen shown as embodied in a'fertilizertype grain drill in which a framesupports a seed hopper, as through suitable end plates, and a fertilizerhopper 15 having a lower arcuate bottom 17 in which aplurality ofdischarge openings are provided. The hopper 15 also contains suitableagitating means (not shown), and flow of fertilizer material from thehopper 15 is controlled by a slide 18 that is carried along theunderside of the hopper bottom 17, preferably by means to whichreference will be made in detail later. The slide 18 is movablegenerally longitudinally of the transversely disposed fertilizer hopper15. The agitating means in the hopper 15, and suitable seed-selectingmeans, are actuated by any suitable drive connections. The presentinvention is not particularly concerned with the details of the driveconnections, it being sufiicient for purposes of the present disclosureto note that they are generally similar, to the arrangement shown-in theU. S. Patent 2,561,235, issued July 17, 1951, to Schmutzler to whichreference maybe made if necessary. Also, a grain drill in which theprinciples of the present invention have been incorporated includesground-engaging furrow openers and furrow opener raising and loweringmeans, similar to that shown, for example, in U. S. Patent 2,520,345,issued August 29, 1950, to Starr, to which reference may also be made ifnecessary.

According to the principles of the present invention, thedischarge-controlling slide 18, which is provided with a plurality ofopenings cooperating with openings formed in the hopper bottom 17, isadapted to be shifted longitudinally of the transverse hopper 15 for thepurpose of controlling the amount of fertilizer discharged through thehopper openings. Preferably, according to the provisions of the presentinvention, the slide-supporting means is constructed and arranged toaccommodate ready and convenient detachability of the slide 18 from thebottom of the hopper to facilitate cleaning the slide and associatedparts. I

One form of slide-supporting means incorporating the principles of thepresent invention is shown in Figs. 1-4. Referring now to these figures,the front and rear sides of the hopper 15 are providedwith a pluralityof pairs of front and rear supporting strap members or brackets 71 and72 secured in any suitable way to the sides of the hopper 15 so as tohave depending portions extending below the bottom 17 of the hopper. Thefront brackets 71 are slotted, as at 75, and the rear brackets or strapmembers are provided with openings 76, each of which has a lateralextension 77 that provides for sidewise movement of the associated partinto and out of the openings 76. Carried in each pair of brackets 71 and72 is a rotatable cam member 78 having front and rear stems 81 and 82.The cam section 79 of each member 78 carries 'a slide-engaging roller 83that is held in position on the part 79 by pins 83a and forms a part ofthe cam member 78. The roller 83 is disposed, when the stems 81 and 82are in the bottom portions of the openings and 76 in the brackets 71 and72, so as to engage the lower face of the slide 18. To attach the member78, the front stem 81 is first inserted in the opening 75 of the frontbracket 71, and then the rear stem 82 is passed through the extension 77and into position in the openings 76 of the rear bracket 72. The rearstem 82 carries an arm 84 that is apertured to receive one end ofaspring 85, the other end of which is anchored to the hopper by a clip86 or other suitable fastening means. The cam portion 79 is in thenature of an eccentric and the parts are so constructed and arrangedthat the tension inthe spring .85 urges the roller 80 on the cam oreccentric section 79 into engagement with the lower side of the slide18. The eccentric 79 is not ordinarily on its deadcenter position and,therefore, if for any reasonfertilizer should begin to build up on theslide 18, the cam or eccentric sec- ;tion 79, together with the arm 84,rocks downwardly to accommodate any downward displacement of the slide18 due to the hardened fertilizer thereon or on the adjacent portions ofthe hopper bottom. The several cam memben 78 are readily disconnectedfrom the hopper to accommodate removal of the slide 18, merely bydisconncctingone end of the spring 85 from the clip 86 and then turningthe member 78 so as to lower the eccentric 79, whereupon the member 79'may be withdrawn from .the openings 76 through the extension 77, andthen withdrawn axially from the openings 75 in the front bracket '71.

According to the present invention, means is provided -for shifting theslide 18 longitudinally of the hopper to control the discharge offertilizer. To this end, as will be seen from Fig. 1, an end clip 91 isfixed to one-end of the slide 18 and has a downturned portion 92provided with a buttonhole-type of opening 93 a portion of which extendsinto the horizontal part of, the clip 91. An adjusting screw 94'isthreaded into a fitting 95 fixed to the side 96 of the hopper 15 and theinner end of the screw 94 is reduced, as at 98, so as to extend throughthe smaller portion of the opening 93. A collar 99 is mounted on thereduced end 98 and is held in position by a pin or cotter '101, thecollar 99 lying at the inner side of the downturned portion 92 of theend clip 91. In this way, as will be seen from Fig. 2, turning the screw94, as by a handle 102 or the like, serves to shift the slide 18 in onedirection or the other. .The adjusting end of the slide 18 is held inplace by means that, unlike the cam 78 and associated parts, doesnotaccommodateany downward displacement ofthe slide. Where force is appliedto the end of the slide shift the samein one direction or the other, ithas been found that downward displacement or the possibility of downwarddisplacement should not be present. Accordingly, the present inventioncontemplates the provision of two end brackets 105 and 106 attached tothe hopper-15 and extending below the slide 18, the downward extensionbeingslotted, as at 107. An L-shaped guide block 109 is adjustably fixedto the lower portion of each of the brackets105gand 106 byfany suitablernea'ns, such as, a wing nut and bolt arrangement 111. When itis'desiredto remove the slide 18, the wing nuts are removed and theguide blocks 109 are also removed,

' acting continually to hold the slide 18 up against the bottom of thehopper, but in cases Where a spring-biased et seq. may be employed.Referring now to. these figures, in this form of the invention a slidesupport 115 in the form of an elongated plate 116 is provided with agenerally vrshaped ledge section 117 and is secured to the rear side ofthe hopper by means of a plurality of pins or studs 118 and associated.angled slots 119forrncd in the upper'edge of the plate member 9116. Whenthe studs or bolts 118 are tightened the member 115 isheld againstlateral displacement, and this holds the ledge section 117 J [in a givenposition relative to the bottom of the hopper. This position may bechanged, however, by loosening the j studs 118 and shifting theplatemember 115 in one directionor the other. The slide 18a is, in this formof the l invention,'pr ovided at one side with a downturned section 121that normally rests in the V-shaped ledge section 117. Theopposite edgeof the slide 18d carries' aplurality of shoulder rivets 122. These partscooperate with the upper portion of a second slide support 124 that isattached to the front side of the hopper 15, as through some of theframe members 125 of the grain drill. The upper edge 126 of the slidesupport 124 is provided with as many notches or slots 127 as there arerivets, and the portions of the slide support section 126 between thenotches 127, indicated at 128, form ledges upon which the shoulderrivets 122 rest and which, at the same time, accommodate anylongitudinal adjusting movement of the slide 180. However, when theslide 18a is shifted to bring the shoulder rivets 122 into the notchesor slots 127, the forward edge of the slide 18a drops down, and

[action of this type is not desirable or necessary, the modified form ofslide-holding means shown in Figs. 5

then the rear portion 121 may be lifted away from the ledge section 117of the rear slide'support 115. Preferably, the front slide support 124is connected to the frame parts 125 by bolt and slot means indicatedgenerally at 129.

In this form of the invention, a shifter plate 134 is riveted orotherwise firmly fixed to the slide 18a and extends rearwardlytherefrom, the rear end being apertured, as at 135, to receive the stern136 of a nut member 137 having an elongated threaded section 138 thatreceives the inner threaded end of a fertilizer adjusting screw 139. Theouter end of the adjusting member 139 is rotatably anchored by anysuitable means to an end bracket 142 that is fixed, as at 143, to theadjacent portion of one of the frame members 144 of the hopper support.By

turning the member 139, the slide 18a may be shifted along the ledgesections 117 and 128, as to adjust the amount of discharge from thefertilizer hopper. Movement of the slide beyond the adjusting rangebrings the shoulder rivets into registration with the notches 127. Byloosening the fasteners 118 and '129, the position of theslide-supporting strips and 124 may be adjusted to bring the slide .1-8ato the proper position relative to the bottom of the hopper.

While I'have shown and described above the preferred structure in whichthe principles of the present invention have been incorporated, it is tobe understood that my invention is not to be limited to thepartieulardetails, shown and described above, but that, in fact, widely differentmeans may be employed in the practice of the broader aspects of thisinvention. V

What I claim, therefore, and desire to'secure by Letters Patent isz.

1. In a fertilizerdistributor, a hopper having openings in the bottomportion thereof, a slide movable along the bottom portion of said hopperand having openings cooperating with said hopper openings to provide thedesired rate of flow, and means removably supporting said slide on thebottom portion of said hopper, said slide-holding means including springbiased means extending transversely across said movable slide andcontacting the lattcr between the ends of said spring biased means forresiliently urging said slide against the hopper bottom, said springbiased means accommodating adjusting movement of the slide whileresiliently urging the latter against the hopper bottom portion.

2. In a fertilizer distributor, a hopper having openings in the bottomportion thereof, a slide movable along thebottom portion of said hopperand having openings cooperating with said hopper openings to provide thedesired rate of flow, brackets fixed to said hopper at each side of saidslide and extending below the latter, the lower ends of said bracketsbeing apertured, rotatable cams carried by said brackets and includingmeans engaging said slide, an arm-on each cam, and spring means anchoredto the hopper and connected with each arm.

3. The invention set forth in claim 2, further characterized by theopenings in the brackets at one side of said slide being slotted todetachably receive said rotatable cams.

4. In a fertilizer distributor, a hopper having openings in the bottom.portion thereof, a slide movable along the bottom portion of said hopperand having openings cooperating with said hopper openin-gs to providethe desired rate of flow, one edge of said slide having a down turnedportion, a first slide support fixed to said housing and having aportion removably receiving the down turned port-ion of said slide, asecond slide support fixed to said hopper bottom at the other side ofsaid slide, the latter having projections and said second slide supporthaving openings receiving said projections when said slide is engagedwith said firs-t slide support and then shifted upwardly against thebottom portion of said hopper, axial movement of said slide acting tocause said projections to move behind the adjacent portion of saidsecond slide support, whereby said slide is movably held against thebottom of said hopper.

5. The invention set forth in claim 4, further characterized by meansadjustably fixing said slide supports to the hopper to provide formovement of said slide supports toward and away from the bottom portionof said hopper.

6. In a fertilizer distributor, a hopper having openings in the bottomportion thereof, a slide movable along the bottom portion of said hopperand having openings cooperating with said hopper openings to provide thedesired rate of flow, a shifter plate disposed generally transversely ofsaid slide and fixed at one end to the latter, the other end beingapertured, a nut member having a stem disposed in the aperture in saidshifter plate, means removably holding said nut member in said shifterplate, a bracket fixed to the hopper, an adjusting nut member having ascrew threaded portion threaded into said nut member and the other endrotatable relative to but held against axial displacement with respectto said bracket, an index pointer plate comprising a generallytransverse member fixed at one end to said slide, an index pointer fixedto the other end of said last mentioned transverse part, and an indexplate coopcrating'with said index pointer and fixed to said hopper.

7. In a fertilizer distributor, a hopper having openings in the bottomportion thereof, a slide movable along the bottom portion of said hopperand having openings cooperating with said hopper openings to provide thedesired rate of flow, one edge of said slide having a down turnedportion, a first slide support adjustably fixed to said housing andhaving a portion removably receiving the down turned portion of saidslide, a second slide support fixed to said hopper bottom at the otherside of said slide, and means connecting the other edge of said slidewith said second slide support.

8. In a fertilizer distributor, a hopper having openings in the bottomportion thereof, a slide movable along the bottom portion of said hopperand having openings cooperating with said hopper openings to provide thedesired rate of flow, at least one edge of said slide being bentdownwardly to provide a support-receiving edge, and means removablysupporting said slide on the bottom portion of said hopper, saidslide-holding means including a slide support having an upturned ledgesection receiving said edge, and means mounting said slide support onsaid hopper.

9. The invention set forth in claim 8, further characterized by saidmounting means including angled sections on said slide support andassociated parts fixed to the hopper and supportingly receiving saidangled sections,.

said angled sections being shiftable along said parts.

10. Ina fertilizer distributor, a hopper having openings in the bottomportion thereof, a slide movable along the bottom portion of said hopperand having openings cooperating with said hopper openings to provide thede sired rate of flow, one edge of said slide having a down turnedportion, a slide support adjustably fixed to said housing and having aportion removably receiving the down turned portion of said slide meanson the hopper supporting the other edge of said slide.

11. 'In a fertilizer distributor, a hopper having openings in the bottomportion thereof, a slide movable along the bottom portion of said hopperand having openings cooperating with said hopper openings to provide thedesired rate of flow, one edge of said slide having a down turnedportion, a slide support adjustably fixed to said housing and having aportion removably receiving the down turned portion of said slide, andslide moving means comprising a part fixed to the slide and extendingtherefrom below and outwardly from said slide support, a bracket fixedto the adjacent end of the hopper, and slide-adjusting means connectedto act between said slide and said bracket.

12. In a fertilizer distributor, a hopper having openings in the bottomportion thereof, a slide movable along the bottom portion of said hopperand having openings cooperating with said hopper openings to provide thedesired rate of flow, a shifter plate disposed generally transversely ofsaid slide and fixed at one end to the latter, the other end beingapertured, a nut member having a stem disposed in the aperture in saidshifter plate, means removably holding said nut member in said shifterplate, a bracket fixed to the hopper and an adjusting nut member havinga screw fitted portion threaded into said nut member and the other endrotatable relative to but held against axial displacement with respectto said bracket.

13. In a fertilizer distributor, a hopper having openings in the bottomportion thereof, a slide movable along the bottom portion of said hopperand having openings cooperating with said hopper openings to provideflow control, and means removably supporting said slide on the bottomportion of said hopper, said slide-holding means including spring biasedmeans extending transversely across said movable slide and contactingthe latter between the ends of said spring biased means forreresiliently urging said slide against the hopper bottom.

14. 'In a fertilizer distributor, a hopper having openings in thebot-tom portion thereof, a slide movable along the bottom portion ofsaid hopper and having openings cooperating with said hopper openings toprovide the desired rate of flow, one edge of said slide having a down isaid slide.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,418,169 Printz May 30, 1922 1,722,7 13 Smith July 30, 1929 2,661,125Gandrud Dec. 1, 1953

